27 : Taking a break

**Evelyn :**

Pressing the alarm off at exactly ten minutes over seven o clock, I jumped out of bed with my eyes wide open to quickly get ready before Raphael came to get me himself. Knowing that he has a strict schedule, I wanted to be ready already.

It had already been a week since we started my training. Have I progressed? Well... Let's say I was like a duckling taking its first steps but I knew that it was just the beginning and that I would succeed one day.

After showering, dressing up, eating a light breakfast, and brushing my teeth, I went to the owner's office at exactly five past eight in a light mood. He had business in the morning, so I hoped that the first place he would come to was his office.

Sitting in the big chair, I let myself breathe in the man's scent in the room. It was divine as usual. My eyes passed over his work desk, and my hands were itching to touch something that belonged to him. On the surface in front of me was a laptop with a mouse, nearby to the right was a tray with stationery and black and white sticky notes. To the left, which I only saw now, all these weeks, there was a picture frame with a picture in it.

The picture showed a young girl with light brown hair. She was in a yellow summer dress, with a big smile on her face, looking over her shoulder in the exact direction where the camera was photographing her. She was unfamiliar to me in appearance, but the feeling was so familiar that my head hurt from some vivid moments that happened in the past. I had the same girl in my memories.

**It was me.**

After this shocking discovery, I did not even notice that someone was watching me in the doorway. I noticed only when heavy steps entered the room. My eyes instantly snapped to the place of the sound, and there he was, in all his glory.

Dressed in black again, with a hood on his head and a large impressive sword attached to the belt of his cloak. Raphael's eyes were already glowing in small flames as he looked at me.

"Didn't know you'd be up Evelyn," he muttered when the man himself slowly got closer and closer, "Slept well, apparently?"

With flushed cheeks, feeling caught, I quickly stood up and walked away from the desk.

"I'm sorry, I was waiting for you and I thought we'd meet here so you don't have to go to our room," I apologized and I almost hit myself.

*Our room!!? Evelyn, why did you have to make it sound like we slept together every night?*

Although it was true. Against my will, when I had already gone to sleep, Raphael went to sleep for a few hours every night in the exact same bed where I was, next to me, but of course, we never woke up together in the morning. He was already gone.

Only the smell was left behind him in the soft sheets.

The thought made me upset but I knew it was better that way. Also, our relationship was quite fast.

"Oh love, did you miss me?" with a sly grin, he removed his hood from his head to reveal his attractive face. With a small glance at me, he went to another table that was next to the bookshelf. Pulling countless swords and knives, blades from his pockets, he placed them all on the table and then finally took off his cloak completely. I almost choked when I saw the bare flesh and the tattoos because I guess he wasn't wearing a shirt.

Dressed only in black leather pants and boots, he ran both hands through his hair and arched his back to stretch his tense muscles.

I was already salivating at the sight of it.

"If I didn't know, I'd think you were impatient for our next training session," there's an amusing note in his words, but I'm too busy looking at his beautiful body to respond normally.

At my silence, the man slowly turns towards me. One corner of his mouth goes up when he sees me watching. I only understood that when there was a low laugh, much closer than before. Eyes widening, I watch with rapid heartbeats as the owner of the naked body breaks our distance and steps close to me. Gently lifting my chin up with his fingers, I am instantly hypnotized as his sparkling eyes meet mine and his face comes dangerously close to mine.

Putting off the distance between us, he touched my forehead with his and I see him smiling again, "I am ready to build a new world for you, which I would name after you if I saw this look every day, directed at me because you know that I will not let you go anywhere. You are safe with me, do you understand that baby?" the words are soft but with a dangerous promise, but they alone make me feel hotter.

I can only nod.

"Yeah?" made me agree with what he said, my answer is the same as his.

"Yeah."

My feelings were robotic. My reactions were robotic. And it was all just for this one creature. *What is happening to me?*

"Okay," smiling again, he gently kisses the tip of my nose and slowly backs away. Red as ever, I watch as he turns towards where he had put his things. With a look over his shoulder, a small smile creeps into his face, about my watching but without commenting, he went to the table.

"I'm going to take a shower, then we can start. I see you're ready for today," giving me one last look, Raphael left me alone with only his thoughts about him.

Turning my head to the left, my eyes drift to the picture of the smiling girl.

Looks like I'll ask questions later.

****

After a solid workout that lasted four hours, deadly long, I showered and felt as hungry as a wolf. I couldn't wait for the dinner that the host wanted to cook for me. He promised to make me something delicious, for adapting and quickly learning new tricks, even if other times he makes me want to die. It was not a joke at all.

I was also grateful to him for giving me the opportunity himself. It was like he was the second person who truly believed in me, other than my grandpa.

As I entered the kitchen, I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw his long-lost brother, Luke. *Again??*

Backed against the cupboard door, arms crossed, he gave a cold look at Phoenix, who was by the stove in nothing but sweatpants and house slippers. Again, the body was already bare, and even though he was in the shower a while ago, his hair was still wet.

"I know you hate me, but this has to stop. You can't blame me for what happened for the rest of your life. Ignore me all you want but you will be and always will be my brother," Luke said boldly and I saw Raphael pinching his nose and breathing out a painful groan in annoyance.

"God, you really have nothing to do but appear out of the blue to get on my nerves," he was already fed up.

Luke smiled crookedly, "You can't live without me, I already knew that. Everyone likes me, and your girlfriend doesn't say anything either. Even she thinks like me. I'm too likable. Right, Evelyn?" as if he had noticed that I had been standing and listening to their conversation for some time, my cheeks instantly turned red and I bowed my head, cursing myself in silence.

Being noticed, I went deeper inside, "Hey...."

After placing the last bowl of food on the table, which contained stewed vegetables, Raphael wiped his hands on a towel with pursed lips and gave me a look.

"Come here,"  he commanded and I turned my head to his brother, who just grinned in my direction and looked at us with more interest than he had ever done before, and nodded in Raphael's direction so I obey.

Blushing even more, I went to my man who immediately raised his hand towards me and clasping our hands together, he pulled me close to him for a hug. Placing his lips right where my ear was, he began to whisper, "If he something tries, you tell me right away, okay? Even if I know him, his behavior can sometimes be surprising and unexpected."

"Talking about me again?" Luke bursts out loud, "I already know that everyone likes me but I didn't know I was so popular."

His words made me giggle and Phoenix glares in his direction, "Shut up."

My eyes drift to Luke who winks at me.

"It's good, I guess I'll go. You lovebirds, need to spend some time together. See you another time, sweetie," addressing the latter to me, and before the man who has his arms around me can do anything, Luke has already vanished from our view.

"I will kill him I swear," Raphael was already getting hotter but I just shook my head and grabbed his face to look at me.

I had a small smile on my face, "No, you won't. You have other things to worry about."

He raised one eyebrow, giving me a small smirk, "About what?"

Biting my lip, I pulled away from him and laughed as he reached for me again and I jumped off of him.

"About how you can catch me."

Raphael smiled at that.

"You have one second," that was my cue when I threw myself out of the kitchen.